Activities and Entertainment at Night

[Desert Cruisers]

We sailed in late August on the Nieuw Amsterdam in Alaska. While we very much enjoyed the cruise, we were disappointed by the lack of activities and entertainment in the evening especially for those who eat later. Late traditional dinner was at 7:45 and there were too many evenings when the only pre-dinner entertainment/activity was a short trivia session. Also, there was little dancing music (live or recorded) as an option before dinner. There were only a cruise director and assistant cruise director so this also limited activities.

 

We frequently do transatlantic sailings across the pond. With all of those sea days, are there more activities and evening entertainment? Can we expect the same limited number of cruise staff? We are not looking for "party-hardy" activities, but honestly, the ship was dead many nights except for the BB King Club evenings.

[kazu]

We sailed in late August on the Nieuw Amsterdam in Alaska. While we very much enjoyed the cruise, we were disappointed by the lack of activities and entertainment in the evening especially for those who eat later. Late traditional dinner was at 7:45 and there were too many evenings when the only pre-dinner entertainment/activity was a short trivia session. Also, there was little dancing music (live or recorded) as an option before dinner. There were only a cruise director and assistant cruise director so this also limited activities.

 

We frequently do transatlantic sailings across the pond. With all of those sea days, are there more activities and evening entertainment? Can we expect the same limited number of cruise staff? We are not looking for "party-hardy" activities, but honestly, the ship was dead many nights except for the BB King Club evenings.

 

I find there is more entertainment and evening activities on Transatlantic/Transpacific cruises.

 

There are some extra daily activities - and, certainly were a number on our Transpacific this year. Types of activities vary depending upon the type of crossing and even the ship.

 

I think you can expect the same number of cruise staff but on our sailings others have pitched in to help (Culinary Arts Centre manager was fairly involved in our last sailing).

[Krazy Kruizers]

Last year we did a 21 day repositioning cruise on the Westerdam -- Ft Lauderdale to San Diego.

We also had only a cruise director and his assistant.

We like to eat early. There was no music in the Ocean Bar before or after dinner. The Band had to play for the shows each evening. The Adagio Duo were poor. Trivia was at 7 PM while we were finishing dinner in the Pinnacle. Nothing going on in the Crow's Nest.

Entertainment was poor.

[RuthC]

I've done several trans-Ats and a trans-Pac. My experience is that the daytime is chock full of activities to fill those long sea days, but the cocktail time activity is lacking, especially for those of us on second seating.

Where there once was a combo playing faithfully every night in the Ocean Bar from at least 7:00 PM until called to dinner, now there is either a trivia game going on, or that awful overhead noise they try to pass off as music as often as not.

Any of the fun & games activities, such as even Name That Tune, are held at 9:00, so later diners can't participate, either.

There is a show most nights, usually a movie, and some version of what used to be a Piano Bar, on most ships. Adagio quits just about the time dinner is ending, and I expect the replacement entertainment does, too.

 

No wonder people retire to their cabins. I often wonder if this was a conscious decision at HAL to send us to bed early so the staff can get more rest.

[Adoptionmsw]

We just got off the Zuiderdam today after a twenty day back to back Canada and New England cruise. It was a very port intensive schedule. The evening entertainment was not up to our experiences on previous HAL cruises. The same comedian performed three separate nights. He was very funny the first time. We asked if he would be using new material and were told no. Twice they had only one show at 9:30 PM. That's too late for us. The Adagio pair was good but after two weeks they began to repeat themselves and preferred to play pieces from their CD which they reminded us over and over was for sale in the shops on board. The band did play every evening in the Ocean Bar, the B.B. King performers were good. The piano bar seemed crowded whenever we passed it. I agree with RuthC that the piped in music they play all day long all over the ship is really annoying. I wish they would skip it. They even turn on what sounds like rock music during the Adagio's 15 minute breaks between sets. In spite of all this, we had a delightful cruise. The dining room and stateroom staff are as wonderful as ever. The ports were interesting and we were blessed with exceptional weather. We solved the entertainment dilemma by doing more reading and in my case, knitting.

 

 

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[SetAnOpenCourse]

While I can thoroughly enjoy a cruise with little entertainment, I find it difficult to endure pervasive piped-in music of certain types. I have not had it on all my HAL cruises, but this may be the deal breaker with a Zuiderdam cruise I was considering. HAL was my line of choice, and I still check HAL first when planning, but this will be four in a row with other lines. It's sad, as I expect to be taking cruise vacation for another thirty years.

[dag144]

i agree with everyone regarding the lack of music before dinner. Trivia should not replace live music in the Ocean Bar. The Gallery Bar is nice, but is so close to the Piano Bar that HAL skips live music in this venue also. Yes they have BB King, but they are putting too many eggs in BB's basket.

 

The Explorers Lounge has been changed (ie ruined) since half has been turned into a bleacher type arrangement leaving the gracious part without nearest the stern with little reason for being - except perhaps to read during the day.

 

Thankfully the remaining S class ships and the R ships still have the older comforts!:(:(

[albingirl]

I always liked live music in the Ocean bar, so this cruise (transatlantic) should be interesting if they skip it. In other words, I will be bored beyond measure. There's just so much trivia games I can take, and I don't like bingo or knitting. Good thing I like to read. However, piped in music all over the ship can drive me nuts. We really liked the culinary arts center last time, so hopefully that will go on daily. They did have dancing lessons on the cruise, but not everyone is into that. Especially my husband....lol.

[RuthC]

Thankfully the remaining S class ships and the R ships still have the older comforts!:(:(

We dodged a bullet on that, though. A few years ago the Explorers Lounge on the Volendam was totally destroyed as a comfortable lounge. on a refurb HAL took out the carpets, tables, sofas, and chairs (except for the pairs along the window), and replaced them with a classroom type set-up. The place was dedicated to sales pitches during the day, and audience style seating for Adagio in the evening.

The wood floor caused sounds to bounce around, making it a noisy place. Even the color scheme didn't match, as the tri-tone browns of the easy chairs along the window remained, while the rest of the room had clashing colors.

UGLY!!!

 

Fortunately, not only the passengers complained about how awful it was, but the Hotel Manager did, too. Seattle listened to someone and changed it back to something more suitable. Apparently they didn't do the same to the lounges on the other ships, as I have read nothing about it happening.

[baja mama]

What is Adagio?

 

Thanks so much.

[RuthC]

What is Adagio?

Adagio is/was (depending on the ship) the classical/semi-classical music duo who play(ed) in the Explorer's Lounge. In the past it had been a quartet, but the numbers were reduced over the years.

Some ships have changed that venue to Lincoln Center, and now have a quintet filling a similar role.

[J&Dhighdesert]

In March, we were on a 33 day cruise on the Masadam. We ate in the Lido each evening. After a while, we noticed they played the same song each evening while we were eating. There were cards in our cabin asking how we were doing. I wrote about the same song each evening. I received a call asking about my comment. The Seattle office sets up the can music and there is nothing they can really do. He said they would let Seattle know. In August, we didn't have quiet time to really listen to the can music.

[Lizzie68]

We spent a month on the NA earlier this year and there was a distinct lack of evening entertainment but most disappointing was the band in the ocean bar never played on gala nights. So many people came by to dance on those nights especially.

 

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[OCruisers]

When we book a cruise on HAL, we totally understand there will be nil to no later evening entertainment.

Works very well for Port Entensive cruises. ;)